Incandescent-lamp socket



(No Model.)

C. A. B. HALVORSON. INOANDESGBNT LAMP SOCKET.

Patented May'24, 1892.

VVE/VT l CMJMMV M TML-555.5.

@wlw my NITED STATES PATENT Grnrcn.

CROll/IWELL A. B. HALVORSON, OF SAUGUS, MASSACHUSETTS.

lNCANDESCENT-LAMP SOCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,555, dated May 24, 1892. Application filed August 5, 1891. Serial No. 401,761. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CROMWELL A. B. HAL- VORSON, of Saugus, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Incandescent-Lamp Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to means for making and breaking an electric circuit, and particularly to circuit making and breaking devices for use in electric lamps.

The invention has for its object, first, to provide improved means for establishing and maintaining a firm contact between two terminals or contact-pieces for lthe purpose of closing an electric circuit, and also insuring the quick separation of said contact-pieces when it is desired to break the circuit.

The invention also has for its object to provide an improved holder for attachment to the various well-known forms of incandescent lamps, adapted to be used interchangeably with the Edison, Sawyer & Mann, and Thom son-Houston lamps.

To these ends the invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l represents a side view of my improved holder, showing the circuit closed. Fig. 2 represents a similar view showing the circuit broken. Fig. 3 representsa section on line3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 represents abottom view. Fig. 5 represents a side elevation, partly in section, of the socket of an Edison lamp applied to my improved holder. Fig. 6 represents a sectional view of the holder and of the socket of a Sawyer & Mann lamp engaged therewith. Fig. 7 represents a side elevation of the holder and a side elevation and partial section of a fixture used with the Thomson-Houston lamp, said xture being connected by flexible conductors with the lamp.

The same letters and numerals of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents a block of hard rubber or other insulating material, preferably circular in form.

brepresentsa metal plate, which is attached to the upper side of the block ct and is secured in any suitable way to the line or circuit wire c. Said plate Z9 is extended at one end to form a contact-spring b', comprising the portion 2, bent substantially at a right angle with the plate and extending across the periphery of the block ct and below the same, and the inclined portion 3, having at its free end the lip 4.

On the side of the insulating-block a, opposite the plate b, is a metallic plate or bracket comprising a central portion 5, which is attached to the insulating-block a, and two arms 6 7, projecting downwardly from 'said plate 5, said arms having inwardly-projecting lugs or flanges 8 S at their lower ends, provided with screw holes to receive the screws 9 9, which attach to said flanges the socket-holder v10 ot' the Sawyer dzMann lampsocket, as shown in Fig. 6, or to the screwthreaded socket 13 of the Edison lamp, as shown in Fig. 5.

f represents a U -shaped bracket or standard having at its ends flanges f f2, which are screwed to the under sideY of the insulatingblock a. The other line-wire c passes through the insulating-block a andis electrically-connected with the flange f in any suitable way, said flange f and the entire bracket f being insulated from the plate b and line-wire c by the block ct. The bracket f is provided at its lower portion with an externally-screwthreaded stud f3, which projects below the flanges 8 8 and is adapted to engage the internally-threaded socket g of the fixture g of the Thomson-Houston lamp, as shown in Fig. 7. The stud f3 has an internal socket f4, which, when the improved holder'is used in connection with the Sawyer da Mann socket, (shown in Fig. 6,) receives the metallic stem h,

projecting from said socket, as shown in said Fig. 6. The arm 6 is provided with a metallic lip 6', arranged to make contact with the lip 4 when the spring on which said lip 4 is formed is displaced from its normal position by the key or operating device hereinafter described. Vhen the lip 4 is in contact with the lip 6', the circuit through the filament of the lamp is closed, one end of said filament being in electrical connection with the flange 8 and the other with the stud f3, said flange S being in electrical connection with the line-wire c through the plate l) and springs 2 3 4, lip 6', and arm 6, while the stud is in IOO electrical connection with the line-wire c' through the bracket f, to which the last-men` tioned wire is connected, as above described. The electrical connection between the flange 8 and the stud f3 will depend upon the form of lamp and socket employed, and as the cony struction of said devices is well known to those skilled in the art I do not deem it necessary to specifically describe and illustrate the same, it being suiiicient for the present purposes to state that whenever the lip Ltis brought in contact with the lip 6' the circuit is closed and the filament ot' the lamp is renderedi'ucandescent, and when the lips 4 and 6 are separated the circuit is broken and the filament is disconnected from the circuit.

The device invented by me for moving the lip 4 into contact with the lip 6', to close the circuit, and for releasing said lip to bieak the circuit is as follows: t' represents a slide which is fitted to move freely in guiding-orifices in the arms 6 7, which are attached to the block a. To said slide is attached at a point between the arms 6 7 a short rack j, the teeth ot' which engage teeth formed on a pinionshaped block 7c of insulating material mounted on an arbor m, which is journaled in bearings formed i-n the parallel `sides of the U- shaped bracket f. One side of the block 7c is fiattened and is arranged to bear on the incliued portion 3 of the spring Which carries the lip 4, said fiattened side actingas a cam to move ordisplace said spring when the block 7c is partially rotated. It will be seen by reference to Fig. l that when the slide t' is at one end of its movement the block 7c will be caused by the rack j to depress the lip 4 and hold the same in close` contact with the lip G', and by reference to Figs. 2 and 6 it will be seen that when the slide is at the opposite extreme of its movement the block 7c will be turned to such position that it will permit the lip 4 to spring upwardlyand separate from t-he lip 6'. 4'When the lip 4 is depressed, the portion 3 of the spring carrying said lipis deiiected or pressed downwardly by the block k to such an extent that a very iirm contact of the lip 4 with the lip 6 is insured. Hence there can be no possibility of failure to make an operative contact between said lips. The outer ends of the slide i are provided with curved pusli-pieces t" r",whicli-are convex at their outer sides and present extended surfaces, which can be readily pressed by the operators thumb or finger, the form and arrangement being such that the operator can manipulate the slide t by the thumb or a finger of the hand which holds the socket and holder. It will be observed that When the camshaped block is turned to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4t it instantly releases the spring and allows the lip 4 to quickly separate from the lip 6', and thus instantly break the circuit, a result that is very desirable, a slow or sluggish circuitbreaking movement being particularly objectionable in electric lamps.

Although I have shown my invention as applied to electric lamps, I do not limit myself to such use, as the means for closing and breaking the circuit may be applied to various electricalswitching devices and to either `single or double pole-switches. i

As will be readily understood, the pinion block or cain 7c cannot be more than partially rotated in either direction, the engagement of the teeth thereof with the rack c7, causing the latter, owing to its limited sliding motion, to act as a stop against excessive motion ,iii either direction. The sliding motion of the rack is limited by the engagement or contact of one or the other push-piece with the outside of the casing shown in Fig. 5, and in practice the relative proportions of theparts will be such that one tooth of the pinionblock will always be engaged between two teeth of-the rack. By this means, it the circuit is intended to be closed, it cannot be ac cidently opened after closing, and, per contra, it it is intended to open the circuit,.it cannot be closed after opening unless intentionally.

I claiml. In an electric circuit, the combination of a fixed contact, such as 6', a spring affixed to a support which is fixed relatively tp said contact and has its free end formed asacoutact, which is normally separated from the `contact 6 by the stress ot' the spring, a block or cam of insulating material journaled in fixed bearings and bearing on said spring, said block having pinion-teeth, a slide having a rack arranged to engage said teeth, and means for limiting the motion of the slide, as :set forth. i

2. In an incandescent-lamp socket having suitable electrical connections and a switch, the combination, with the insulating-block a., of a metallic bracket comprising the central portion 5, secured to the block a, and two arms 6, proj ectiug downwardly therefrom and hav ing lugs or iianges 8 8', provided with screwholes, and the flanged bracket f, also secured f3 provided with socket f4, whereby the said lamp-socket is adapted for use in connection with different constructions of lamps, substantially as set forth.

3. An incandescent-lamp socket comprising in its construction an insulating-block, a contact-spring attached to said block and adapted to be connected with one of the circuit-wires, l the free end of said spring constituting a conftact piece or lip which is normally held in an i operative position by the stress of the spring, f a metallic arm or bracket aii'ixed to the block and insulated by the latter from said spring, i said arm being adapted to be connected with `,the other circuit-wire and provided with a contact, such as the stud f5, constituting a l part of the electrical connection between one l' circuit-wire and one end of the lamp-filament, another metallic arm attached to the insulating-block and arranged to constitute a part of the electrical connection between the other ``circuitwire and the other end of the lamp tothe block a and having the threaded stud,

IOO

IIO

, filament, said arm being formed to make contact With the spring When the latter is moved from its normal position, a spring-moving cam of insulating material journaled in bearings affixed to said bloc-k and provided with pinion-teeth, a slide having a rack engaged with said teeth, and means for limiting the motion vof the slide, as set forth.

zo block and having the perforated flanges S 8',

one of said arms having also a contact-lip 6', the bracket f, also affixed to the block a and having the eXternallyscrewthreaded hollow or socketed stud f3, the block or cam of insulating material journaled in bearings in said bracket and bearing on the contact-spring, the rack engaged with teeth on said cam, and the slide projecting from opposite sides of the socket and engaged With said rack, said slide having curved push-pieces at its ends, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 27th day of July, A. D. 1891.

CROMWELL A. B. HALVORSON.

Witnesses:

C. F. BRQWN, A. D. HARRISON.. 

